1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers and hinges therefor, such as tote boxes, which are constructed of durable material, such as corrugated plastic board, and which have a hinged cover means to shield and protect the contents. Such containers are intended for reuse and are designed to be stackable for storage and/or shipment purposes.
2. State of the Art
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,947,462; 3,685,719 and 4,046,312 for their disclosures of cartons or boxes having cover means, wire reinforcing rims, partition inserts and other features common in the art.
Among the problems encountered with covered, stackable containers are the need to remove the covers from the containers in order to gain access to the interior, which can result in loss of the cover and/or failure to replace it over the container. Another problem arises from the fact that the cover for the container generally forms a flat upper surface of the container, either as hinged flap extensions of the container side panels and end panels, or as a removable lid which overlaps the side panels and end panels of the container. Thus stacked containers of such construction can slide relative to one another, such as during shipment, and the position of each container is not fixed relative to the container on which it is stacked, which can result in damage to the rim areas of the latter.